Open Access

ARTICLE

Greenhouse Gas Payback of a Solar Photovoltaic System in Northeast Brazil: Effects of the Application of a Solar Coating

Luiz Felipe Souza Fonseca¹, Heitor do Nascimento Andrade¹, João Marcelo Fernandes Gualberto de Galiza², Raphael Abrahão¹, Hamid Boleydei³, Silvia Guillén-Lambea⁴, Monica Carvalho^1,*

1 Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, 58051-900, Brazil
2 Graduate Program in Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, 58051-900, Brazil
3 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
4 Aragón Institute for Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50009, Spain

* Corresponding Author: Monica Carvalho. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Recent Advances in Sustainable Solar Thermal and PV Systems)

Energy Engineering 2025, 122(8), 3265-3283. https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2025.066218

Received 01 April 2025; Accepted 17 June 2025; Issue published 24 July 2025

Abstract

The application of different coatings on solar photovoltaic (PV) panels can be an efficient solution to increase performance and further mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases. This study uses the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and the environmental payback concept to analyze the effects of the application of a nano-silica coating on a solar PV system installed in the Brazilian Northeast. Firstly, an uncoated reference 16.4 MW PV system is designed, and the detailed inventory is presented (PV panels, supporting structure, inverters, junction boxes, cables, transportation, maintenance and operation—including the replacement of equipment). The results of the LCA quantify the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the PV system. Electricity production is estimated by technical and local climate data. Subsequently, the environmental payback time of the system is calculated, which is the time required for the PV system to offset the emissions associated with system manufacturing, operation, and disposal. This is the first Brazilian study to verify the effects of a self-cleaning coating on a solar PV system throughout its lifetime, compared to the uncoated (reference system). The original photovoltaic system emitted 22,534,773 kg CO₂-eq, with an environmental payback of 5 years and 1 day. When the self-cleaning coating is applied, the emissions are 21,511,317 kg CO₂-eq (almost 5% lower) with a payback of 4 years, 1 month and 26 days. The application of self-cleaning coatings reduces the required area for installation (due to increased efficiency), and not only reduces emissions but is also aligned with global sustainability targets and contributes to the concept of sustainable and intelligent cities.

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